Wildcat rescued from a local family

THỪA THIÊN-HUẾ — The rescuing centre in Bạch Mã National Park has received a rare wild cat following efforts by a resident of central Thừa Thiên-Huế Province.

Earlier last weekend, Hoàng Anh Tuấn, a local in the province’s municipal Huế City, discovered the cat in a home cage when he was passing by a house in the city. Tuấn succeeded in persuading the owner and informed the province’s Department of Forest Rangers to take the animal.

Checks by the national park’s rescuing staff revealed the poor health condition of the 6kg cat. It has two weak rear legs and finds it hard to move around.

An official of the rescuing centre said the cat needs time for rehabilitation before the centre releases it into nature in the park.

The wild cat, which has the scientific name of Felis silvestris, is listed among the least concern category of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list. In Việt Nam, a governmental resolution for the management of wildlife conservation recognised the cat as a species prohibited from caging and trading.

Many Vietnamese remain fond of caging wild animals, including monkeys, cats and birds to entertain themselves and to use them to show off their wealth. — VNS